This is from a couple of months ago but I am pretty sure there’s more to renaming the BVC than that.
I’m not a Bar student but a bit of research shows you that:
1. there will be a new professional ethics module on the BPTC, which will be formally taught and assessed in its own right
2. there will no longer be a negotiation module
3. there will be a module on resolving disputes outside the courtroom
4. some areas will have centrally set assessments
5. pass marks will be increased, and ‘competent’ means ‘competent’ as in the standard you would expect of a barrister, not a student
6. an aptitude test must be passed before the BPTC
This seems like rather more than changing its name, and as it looks more stringent than the BVC will result in better bar candidates.
Also - widening access to the bar. Do you mean in terms of numbers generally or diversity? How could the BVC / BPTC improve that problem?
